August 19, 2012 – ECUADOR – At 19h36 (local time) on 18 August, a possible lava flow from the summit crater and incandescent lava blocks continuously tumbling down were observed using thermal imagery. The lava flow which some observers also reported seeing by naked eye is emerges from a breach in the sidewall of the crater on the upper NW flank and directed towards the Cusu gorge. Apparently the lava flow stopped after nearly 4 hours of motion, but bad weather conditions make detailed observations difficult. Preceding the effusion of the new flow, there had been a strong increase of activity since 16 August including seismic tremor, steam and ash emissions and loud explosions audible in nearby towns such as Ambato. –Volcano Discovery

7 Responses to Lava flow detected at Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano

Alvin,
Are all these eruptions releasing the pressure that is built up due to the increasing temperatures of the earth’s core or is it going to require a catastrophic earth event in order for the earth to get back its equilibrium and release the heat building within its interior?

Geology studies the past to understand the behavior of how terrestrial planets behave under certain conditions. The worst things that ever happened to the planet; occurred in the planet’s past. Were these one-time events or were they cycles that can be repeated? The cardinal rule of geology is what happened in the past, is capable of happening again in the future. If you believe in the creation model, as I do, then we have an incredible amount of extremely catastrophic events happening over a very condensed time frame. That’s not good. This begs the question, what sets the planet off and makes it go nuts to spawn volcanic eruptions that could last for hundreds of years? This is the pertinent question of our time.

What if our earths core is like a cars transmission that uses the oil and water to keep it cool with everyone draining oil and droughts are making underground dry andheat up causing the plates to get extremely hot and more fragile also solar flares contributing to the earths temperature…. Question is what happens during the winter period when extreme cold temperatures are dramatically changed by solar flatted

Interestingly enough, we don’t understand what exactly lubricates tectonic plates, and there are even more questions surrounding the viscosity of magma under extreme temperatures that is also thought to be a driving mechanism for tectonic dynamism. So, there may be something to your premise. Science Daily, March 22, 2012 says: “Although the basic process that drives plate tectonics is understood, many details remain a mystery. “Something has to decouple the crustal plates from the asthenosphere so they can slide over it,” says Schmerr. “Numerous theories have been proposed, and one of those was that a melt-rich layer lubricates the boundary between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere, allowing the crustal plates to slide. However, since this layer is only present in certain regions under the Pacific plate, it can’t be the only mechanism that allows plate tectonics to happen there. Something else must be letting the plate slide in areas where the melt doesn’t exist.”